When the Queen Mother reached her ninetieth year

I was in Dartmouth in South Devon

The railway station in Kingswear

Was highly decorated

And many wore traditional costume

To celebrate the occasion

It was a very hot day

And on the beach

People wore very little

But small flags of celebration

Were still planted in the sand

There were no film posters

Advertising Spanish films

On the beach

I did not expect to see them

But was told that they were there

By two Spanish cousins

Twenty-six years later

With the Queen Mother long dead

Her daughter celebrated her ninetieth birthday

The day was not hot

And I was not on a beach

But in the Oxfordshire town

There were many film posters

Advertising Spanish films

I placed my hand on one

And one of the cousins spoke to me

Her name was Victoria